Dreams
by misfire
Summary: Tifa/Vincent centric. in game universe. Originally written in October 2005


It was as though I was inside a film. A black and white film to be exact, with colors so muted they become little more than shades of gray. Shadows seemed to circle me with each step I made, almost like small children trying to gain my attention. Confusion set in, I had no idea as to my location; all the while a sliver of light in the distance beckoned me to move further. Everything was murky, dark and foreboding I didn't like the fact I was alone and I had a strange sense of urgency to reach the cave opening.

Gray skies and darker gray rock features were in stark contrast to the figure I saw as I came out of the tunnel. Thanking the Gods I found someone I knew and thanking them even more that it was who my heart was searching for.

Perched on the ledge of a precariously high cliff, that overbearing cloak of yours shifting ever so slightly in the breeze, its' blood red color eerily vibrant against the salt and pepper colored scenery. Head forward, hidden by dark tresses, not an inch of you letting me know you felt my presence. I felt like an intruder, encroaching on your personal space. I always tried my best to act calm around you, but in truth, you intimidate me.

My heartbeat seemed so loud that you had to know of my presence. In fact how could you not? You are Vincent Valentine, ex Turk. You always could sense me even when I tried so hard to not be noticed. Maybe it's due to living in such small quarters for those many months? Vincent, it took me a long while to conclude that you really do not have eyes in the back of your head. I'll blame that error on Yuffie and her wild imagination.

With slow steady steps I made my way towards your ledge, the shadows that were once all around me dissipated and instead tendrils of mist took their place. It felt as though fingers were playing gently with my hair and urging me to move forward. Even with no recollection of the area, my instinct told me that I had nothing to fear. I couldn't see your face, but your body language looked defeated. Nothing like the man I have come to know. The strong silent all knowing man that was always around when I just needed an ear to listen.

You shy away from contact, but my heart told me that is what you desperately need. I suppose it's silly for me to admit now, but even though I have always had feelings for Cloud, meeting you changed my outlook. Learning about Lucrecia and Sephiroth, and wanting to be the one to rip Hojo's body parts off one by one for you, I wondered if the love I've held for Cloud for so long has always just been mere childhood infatuation. Because I had thought of it for so long, my vision was blind to anything else besides that damn chocobo head. Something only you could truly understand.

**'CRAAAAAACK'**

Embarrassed wine hued eyes met always alert bright crimson.

The offending twig underneath my foot seemed to look at me and smile. Actually, it was laughing at me. Loud guffaws that seemed to echo beyond the area both of us inhabited. Strangely enough it sounded like Barrett when he was doing target practice with his gun arm. Immediately I jumped away from that strange twig only to find it gone when I looked back down.

I looked back up and although you were back to your silent reverie. It wasn't the same. The downtrodden figure I was inching myself closer to was gone, replaced by the tall confident gunfighter. Perhaps I had caught you in a moment that you had not wanted anyone to see and now you've retained that aloof demeanor you are known for. Hell you're a Turk, well ex, but still that training hasn't eluded you in the years you have been out of commission. You amaze me Vincent Valentine, in more ways than I could ever let you know.

_"Tifa"_

Your voice, raspy and deep, brought a tingle up my spine. To be truthful it always has, but today the tingle is even more pronounced. Old world charm mixed with your cool demeanor was more than any single female could take. If I could talk you into reading literature just so I could record your voice, well I'd be making a lot of ladies happy around Gaia. Shaking my head I hoped the blush that crept on my cheeks with that thought wasn't as noticeable as it felt.

I cleared my throat.

_"Hey"_

Crimson eyes darted back towards me and I could see his cloak wasn't covering the lower half of his face. My own eyes possibly playing a wicked trick on me, but I would bet on the Highwind itself that I saw a smile on his lips. Even though I could never see his mouth, I could sense him smiling during some of my more inane attempts at getting to know him. But to see it with my own two eyes was a treat that I prayed I would never forget.

The man is gorgeous.

His head tilted up again with a nod as his right hand moved towards the area next to him. A small pat on the rock was my invitation to sit with him. The air seemed to crackle as I sat down and his cloak glowed even more against the murky gray backdrop. It was as though we were in a film noir, but instead of any action, we simply enjoyed the silent companionship between us. Careful appraisal brought me to realize that he hadn't turned his eyes away from me. That damn blush that I prayed wasn't noticeable due to the lack of color around us was causing me havoc. With a chuckle I looked down at the precipice below, only to see decaying and rotting corpses, grotesque features displaying silent screams on some of the still intact bodies. A muted river of blood that seemed to encompass the area below our ledge, raging with thick brown viscous liquid, no exit in plain sight and drowning the less salvageable bodies below.

With a cry I inadvertently grabbed Vincent's hand. My heart racing due to the image I just saw, I looked at him.

_"My demons"_

I shuddered but didn't let go of his hand, strangely he didn't let go of me either. Taking a deep breath I glanced back down and looked again at the corpses below. I recognized them. Even with most of the skin rotted away I saw her.

_"Lucrecia"_ I mouthed in a near silent whisper, and through my periphery I saw an almost unnoticeable nod. But that wasn't all I saw Yuffie, Cid, Barrett. Nanaki was down there too. I saw a corpse impaled with the Masamune and a few strands of glinting silver hair still attached to the scalp. A partial yellow spike drenched in brown was all that was left of the body lying next to him.

As I examined everyone I loved in the chaos below, agony crept into my heart, I looked back at Vincent and he was looking in the murky precipice. I thought his vision was trained on Lucrecia, but as he picked up our entwined hands and gestured in a different direction I realized what he had been staring at the entire time. A tattered cloak ripped to shreds in various places, a striking shine of a gauntlet that although looked like gunmetal in this drab scene I knew to really be gold.

Tears slowly tumbled down my face as I realized my hand was no longer being supported by the man sitting next to me. Fear took hold as I turned to where Vincent had previously been sitting, and nothing was there to prove his existence. Standing up I called his name.

No answer.

Screaming louder as tears fell down my cheeks I started running towards the path that led me towards this scene in the first place. Pounding feet echoed all around me as I ran towards a maze like path. Calling Vincent was futile as the dread in my stomach made me realize that I was all alone again. Reminders of the past after Nibelheim, after dad, after everything I had been through all those years before came rushing to my mind. Tears started to stream faster down my cheeks as I suddenly came face to face with the man I had been calling out for.

Pained crimson orbs met with puffy and tear streaked claret. An expression mixed with awe and shock was drowned out by my sudden leap into his arms. His form stiffened from the contact, but I didn't care. I had just witnessed his dead body along with my – our friends, our ragamuffin family, I was in no way letting him disappear from me again. Nobody has ever seen me cry but this time I put my pride to the side and let it out in his cloak. He slowly wrapped by his right arm and then carefully his left around my quivering body.

Sniffling back I croaked out.

_"Your corpse, I saw it, I saw everyone. How could this happen? You can't be dead!"_

Staring hard at his face there was a fleeting glimpse of something I couldn't quite comprehend.

_"I can't lose everyone again. Please don't ever leave me."_

His hand ran down my tresses and he seemed to hold on a little tighter. He smelled of spice and gunpowder. Gods I never want to forget that scent. As his head leaned forward his breath tickled my cheek.

_"I won't."_

suddenly as if someone turned on a light switch, the gray lifted to encompass bright prismatic colors, and endless blue sky and the snow encrusted mountains of Nibelheim towering behind. Every color was as though it was freshly painted. Without letting me go his lips grazed mine as he whispered.

_"It's only a dream."_

And with that I woke up.


End file.
